Patent GB-893760-A (GB)
Title: Device for the stacking of piece goods
IPC: B65B5/10
Filed: 1960-05-06
Abstract: 893,760. Stacking. LONZA ELECTRIC & CHEMICAL WORKS Ltd. May 6, 1960 [May 26, 1959], No. 16039/60. Class 94(1). A device for stacking articles, e.g. sacks, comprises swivel plates 3, 4 having ledges 5, 6 respectively, located beneath a conveyer 1 for the articles, pivotable on axes 7, 8 respectively each in the opposite rotary direction to the other and each of which has a common drive means 10 to cause them to pivot between a first position in which they form an upwardly directed gap to receive one article to be stacked and a second position in which they form a downwardly directed gap to form an outlet for the article received in the first position, the drive means being influenced by a control organ 17 mounted on the conveyer 1 and actuated by the articles to cause the plates to occupy said first position whereupon they swivel to the second position. The plates 3, 4 are connected by a rod 9 pivoted thereto. The piston of a cylinder 10 pivoted at 11 and forming the drive means is connected to the plate 4 by a rod 12. Each end of the cylinder is connected to a threeway magnetic valve 13 connected to control apparatus 16 actuated by the control organ 17 comprising a photoelectric cell mounted opposite a light source. The pivotal axes 7, 8 and the cylinder 10 are secured to a frame 18 displaceable laterally by rods 19 driven by means (not shown) connected to the apparatus 16. A sack 23 drops from the conveyer 1 into the gap formed between the plates 3, 4 which then pivot to the position shown in dot-dash lines so that the sack assumes the position 24 and finally falls through the downwardly directed gap to the position 25 on a pallet 20. The plates 3, 4 again form an upwardly directed gap to receive the next sack. The frame 18 moves to the position 18II, Fig. 2, and the sack 26 is deposited on the pallet 20. The frame 18 returns to the position shown in Fig. 1 to receive the next sack and moves to the position 18III to deposit the sack 27. The process is repeated and during the stacking the pallet 20 is gradually lowered until it is placed on the conveyer 22. The angles between the ledges 5, 6 and the plates 3, 4 respectively and the effective length of the rod 9 may be adjusted for different size articles. In a modification, Fig. 4 (not shown), the rods 19 converge upwardly so that the outer columns of the stack incline towards the central column, Fig. 5. In an alternative embodiment, Fig. 6, to stack two adjoining vertical columns without moving the plates laterally, three plates 28, 29, 30 having adjustable ledges 34, 33, 32, 31 connected thereto are provided. The plates are connected by adjustable rods 35, 36 and are pivoted at 49, 50, 51. A sack 46 drops from the conveyer 1 into a gap between the plates 28, 29 which then pivot so that the sack is deposited on the pallet 20 and an upwardly directed gap is formed between the plates 28, 29 to receive the next sack 47, Fig. 10. The plates return to the position of Fig. 6 so that the sack 47 is deposited on the pallet 20 and the next sack 48 then drops into the gap between the plates 28, 29.